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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

2.Alzheimer's disease:
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a slowly progressive disease of the brain that is characterized by impairment of memory and eventually by disturbances in reasoning, planning, language, and perception
In US, for every 70 seconds someone develops alzheimer’s andit is 6 th leading cause of death

3.STAGES OF ADSigns of AD are first noticed in the entorhinal cortex, then proceed to the hippocampus.
Affected regions begin to shrink as nerve cells die.
Changes can begin 10-20 years before symptoms appear.
Memory loss is the first sign of AD.

4.AD spreads through the brain. The cerebral cortex begins to shrink as more and more neurons stop working and die.Mild AD signs can include memory loss, confusion, trouble handling money, poor judgment, mood changes, and increased anxiety. Moderate AD signs can include increased memory loss and confusion, problems recognizing people, difficulty with language and thoughts, restlessness, agitation, wandering, and repetitive statements.

5.In severe AD, extreme shrinkage occurs in the brain. Patients are completely dependent on others for care.Symptoms can include weight loss, seizures, skin infections, groaning, moaning, or grunting, increased sleeping, loss of bladder and bowel control. Death usually occurs from aspiration pneumonia or other infections. Caregivers can turn to a hospice for help and palliative care.

6. Age: Alzheimer's disease increases substantially after the age of 70 and may affect around 50% of persons over the age of 85
The likelihood of developing alzheimer’s disease doubles every 5.5 years from 65-85 years of age

8.Warning signs:
Memory loss
Challenges in planning or solving problems
Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure
Confusion with time or place
Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships

9. New problems with words in speaking or writing
Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
Decreased or poor judgment
Withdrawal from work or social activitiesChanges in mood and personality

10. It is shown that patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) are better able to remember new verbal information when it is provided in the context of music even when compared to healthy, older adults

11.CAUSES:
1. Reduced synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (cholinergic hypothesis)
2. Initiation of large-scale aggregation of amyloid, leading to generalized neuro inflammation
3. tau protein abnormalities initiate the disease cascade
4. Herpes simplex virus type 1 has also been proposed to play a causative role in people carrying the susceptible versions of the apoE gene
5. Loss of locus ceruleus cells
6. pro-NGF accumulation

12.7. Oxidative stress caused by free radicals

13.Plaques – deposits of the protein beta-amyloid that accumulate in the spaces between nerve cellsTangles – deposits of the protein tau that accumulate inside of nerve cells

14.Major facts:
Smoking after age 65 increases your chances of developing Alzheimer’s by 79%Obesity in midlife makes you 3 ½ times more likely to experience Alzheimer’sDiabetes makes you twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’sGenetics account for only 25% of Alzheimer’s casesChronic stress may quadruple your risk